Access enquiry leads to decline by host- why?

[Sandie23]

I made a polite enquiry to a host about access as my friend has mobility problems. The host acknowledged that the accommodation was probably unsuitable. She later declined me, even though l had made no request to book, and claims that this was on advice of AirB&B. 

Can anyone tell me the reason please and could this reflect on my good record as a guest?

[Letti0]

@Sandie23   No it will not effect your guest status. Your better off finding someplace else anyway as this host was not honest. AirBnB would not have advised that it goes against their policy.

Disability

• Airbnb hosts may not:
  • Decline a guest based on any actual or perceived disability.
  • Impose any different terms or conditions based on the fact that the guest has a disability.
  • Substitute their own judgment about whether a unit meets the needs of a guest with a disability for that of the prospective guest.
  • Inquire about the existence or severity of a guest’s disability, or the means used to accommodate any disability. If, however, a potential guest raises his or her disability, a host may, and should, discuss with the potential guest whether the listing meets the potential guest’s needs.
  • Prohibit or limit the use of mobility devices.
  • Charge more in rent or other fees for guests with disabilities, including pet fees when the guest has an assistance animal (such as a service or emotional­ support animal) because of the disability.
  • Post any listing or make any statement that discourages or indicates a preference for or against any guest on account of the fact that the guest has a disability.
  • Refuse to communicate with guests through accessible means that are available, including relay operators (for people with hearing impairments) and e-mail (for people with vision impairments using screen readers).
  • Refuse to provide reasonable accommodations, including flexibility when guests with disabilities request modest changes in your house rules, such as bringing an assistance animal that is necessary because of the disability, or using an available parking space near the unit. When a guest requests such an accommodation, the host and the guest should engage in a dialogue to explore mutually agreeable ways to ensure the unit meets the guest’s needs.

• Airbnb hosts may:
  • Provide factually accurate information about the unit’s accessibility features (or lack of them), allowing for guests with disabilities to assess for themselves whether the unit is appropriate to their individual needs.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1405/airbnb-s-nondiscrimination-policy--our-commitment-to-inclus...

[Kathie21]

Hosts are pressured to 'respond' to booking requests within 24 hours, and that means either approving or declining the request, not just replying to any questions.  Many hosts confuse an enquiry with a request, because they are given options of 'pre-approve' or 'decline', and assume that they must select one of these to stop the clock ticking on their response rate.  If it had been established in correspondence that the listing was unsuitable then I can understand the host choosing 'decline' rather than 'pre-approve'.  And I can believe that she was told by Airbnb that she had to select one of these options even though it was only an enquiry, because I was told the same thing!

[Sandie23]

That’s very misleading, thank you for taking the time to explain Kathie.